► Porsche’s 60-year-old icon electrifies
► New hybrid model will be part of engine range
► 911 992.2 confirmed for summer 2024 launch
Porsche has officially confirmed that it will reveal its new, upgraded 992-generation Porsche 911 in the summer during its Annual Press Conference on 12 March 2024. The new 992.2 model will include hybrid powertrains for the for the first time in the car’s 60-year history.
‘Once again, we are deploying technology in series-production models that we have derived from the world of motorsport,’ says Porsche Chairman of the Board, Oliver Blume. ‘Our customers can look forward to further technological innovations along those same lines.’
Spotted: Porsche’s 992.2 911
Our spy photographers have snapped new pictures of the upcoming 992.2, and they point at two distinct looks for the new 911: while the sheet metal remains largely unaltered, almost all soft parts like bumpers, wheels, lights, mirrors and aero aids are new.
Previously, we’d seen an eye-catching redesigned lower front air intake flanked by five adjustable vertical louvres – but now our spy photographers have captured a more conservative design (below).
The lower lip of the more extreme bumper (below) extends on certain versions to increase the downforce at high speed on the more interesting bumper – so it’s possible it’ll be reserved for the top-end 911s. It’s an idea Stuttgart has used before.
For example, while the Turbo and Turbo S feature two pairs of tailpipes which differ in style, lesser models have centre or side-mounted single or dual exhausts with chromed or black tips. Rear wings will range from a small motorised deflector to the extra-tall wing of the RS. We also expect minor changes to the split rear air intakes. Last but not least, there are redesigned five-dot headlights on the way complemented by new-look tail lights and indicators. The Porsche lettering in the centre is lit at night.
What about the engine?
Key new arrival is a turbocharged mild-hybrid unit (T-HEV). It’s ‘self-charging’ – that is, the battery gets charged by the engine and brake regen, not by being plugged in. The e-motor is capable of generating an extra 80bhp or more, fed by a high-performance Varta battery thought to be 2kWh in capacity.
Inspired by the KERS technology used in F1, the software for the fast-charging 400-volt system was, we hear, co-developed by Porsche and Rimac. The T-HEV system fuses two electrical elements. According to a supplier, the integrated starter generator (ISG) creates an on-demand instant boost effect and drives the auxiliary equipment. The actual e-motor positioned under the fuel tank propels the front wheels and improves the weight distribution.
The tiny battery which powers the compact electric drive unit is charged by the combustion engine and the brakes. For complexity reasons, a manual gearbox is not an option, sources say. The complete T-HEV module is claimed to weigh no more than 25kg.
The base engine is apparently a modified 3.0-litre 2TCI (twin-turbo) six rated at 390bhp and 346lb ft. Assuming the e-motor contributes about 85bhp and 130lb ft to the action, the combined output should be in the area of 475bhp and 477lb ft. Performance-wise, the 911 T-HEV would thus rank between the 911 GTS and the Turbo. It’s been reported that the top-of-the-line 800bhp-plus GT2 RS due in 2026 will also take the T-HEV approach.
Expect the 2024-25 GT3 and GT3 Touring to stick with a 4.0-litre flat-six, but with output increased from 503 to around 521bhp. But then, after a maximum of 1500 cars are built, the 2026 GT3 will switch to a more efficient mild-hybrid naturally-aspirated 3.6-litre engine with identical outputs.
Carrera S models are set to go up from 444bhp to 454bhp and from 391lb ft to 406lb ft. The GTS is expected to increase in capacity from 3.0 to 3.6 litres, gaining 10bhp as peak output increases to 483bhp. That 3.6-litre engine could also replace the 3.8 used in Turbo and Turbo S models.
Inside, there is a new fully electronic instrument panel which depicts five partly overlapping round instruments, with the no-longer-analogue rev-counter and the digital speedometer positioned right in front of the driver, showing where Porsche’s priorities remain focused.